Man shot, jailed after dragging Alabama deputy down road

Bruce Littlejohn
Bruce Littlejohn
photo Bruce Littlejohn

A Cedar Bluff, Ala., man is behind bars after being shot Wednesday by an Alabama deputy who was being dragged down the road by the suspect.

Authorities in Cherokee County, Ala., say 42-year-old Brett Dow Littlejohn was pulled over for a traffic violation around 3 p.m. CDT Wednesday when the deputy learned Littlejohn was wanted on a warrant, Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver said.

When the deputy reached inside Littlejohn's car to arrest him, the man drove off with the deputy hanging out of the vehicle's window, Shaver said.

"While being dragged several hundred feet, the deputy managed to [shock] the suspect three times, attempting to stop the man and be freed from the vehicle," Shaver said. "The Taser had no effect, and the deputy was forced to shoot the suspect to stop the vehicle."

Shaver said Thursday the deputy was able to get loose from Littlejohn's car and another deputy arrived and picked him up. The two deputies then tracked Littlejohn down and got him to stop after a short pursuit of a mile or so.

Shaver said Littlejohn was airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, where he was treated for his wounds and released. The deputy was uninjured, the sheriff said.

Littlejohn was taken to the Cherokee County Detention Center late Wednesday night on charges of second-degree assault, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, attempting to elude a police officer and resisting arrest, according to a news release and booking records.

Shaver said the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office Investigations Division and the Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensics are investigating the incident.

When the investigation is completed, the district attorney's office will review the case. The sheriff said the deputy involved was not on duty on Thursday but will return to a regular duty schedule.

"We are thankful our deputies were not injured or killed while performing their duty today," Shaver said.

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.

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